Cedar Rapids Fentanyl Dealer Gets 14 Years

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Jaylon William Throgmartin, 22, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is facing a long stretch behind bars after being sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for his role in a large-scale fentanyl distribution operation. Throgmartin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, admitting to flooding the streets with thousands of deadly pills between December 2023 and October 2024.

The case, laid bare in court documents and at sentencing, details a brazen disregard for human life. Throgmartin didn’t just deal fentanyl; he actively participated in a dangerous exchange, trading a firearm for more of the lethal drug. Even more chilling, evidence revealed he distributed at least one fentanyl pill to an individual who subsequently overdosed. Fortunately, the victim survived thanks to the quick administration of Narcan, but the incident underscores the sheer recklessness of Throgmartin’s actions.

United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams handed down the 168-month sentence in Cedar Rapids today. Beyond the prison term, Throgmartin will also be subject to a four-year term of supervised release upon his eventual release, a meager consolation given the devastation he wrought. Federal sentencing guidelines offer no parole, meaning Throgmartin will serve the entirety of his sentence.

This takedown is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by fostering collaboration between law enforcement and local communities. The DOJ’s recent strategy strengthens PSN by focusing on building trust, supporting community organizations, prioritizing enforcement, and meticulously measuring results.

The investigation was a coordinated effort spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, operating under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. OCDETF focuses on dismantling the most dangerous criminal organizations threatening the United States. This case also falls under Operation Take Back America, a sweeping initiative aimed at dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations.

Throgmartin remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service while awaiting transport to a designated federal prison facility. Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake prosecuted the case. Court file information can be found at ecf.iand.uscourts.gov, case file number 25-CR-5. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on X @USAO_NDIA for further updates.

RELATED: Arizona Dealer Sentenced to Over Seven Years for Meth and Fentanyl Distribution

RELATED: Cedar Rapids Fentanyl Kingpin Faces Over 8 Years